DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

TED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, Director 



Water-supply Paper 378 

PROFILE SURVEYS IN 1914 

ON 

MIDDLE FORK OF WILLAMETTE RIVER 
AND WHITE RIVER, OREGON 

. PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OP 

R. B. MARSHALL, Chief Geographer 



Prepared in cooperation with 
THE STATE OF OREGON 

John H. Lewis, State Engineer 




WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
1915 



DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, Director 



Water.Supply Paper 378 



PROFILE SURVEYS IN 1914 

ox 

MIDDLE FORK OF WILLAMETTE RIVER 
AND WHITE RIVER, OREGON 



PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 

R. B. MARSHALL, Chief Geographer 



Prepared in cooperation with 
THE STATE OF OREGON 

John H. Lewis, State Engineer 




WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1915 



Cf, 






D. of D. 
NOV 8 1915 






CONTENTS. 



Page. 

Introduction 5 

Willamette River basin 5 

General features ' 5 

Gaging stations 7 

White River 7 

Publications 8 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Plates I-IV. Plan and profile of Middle Fork of Willamette River above 

Oakridge, Oreg. (four sheets, A-D) At end of volume. 

V-VL Plan and profile of White River in vicinity of Tygh Valley, 

Oreg. (two sheets, A and B) At end of volume. 

99320°— 15 3 



Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2011 with funding from 
The Library of Congress 



http://www.archive.org/details/profilesurveysin03mars 



PROFILE SURVEYS IN 1914 ON MIDDLE FORK OF WIL- 
LAMETTE RIVER AND WHITE RIVER, OREGON. 



Prepared under the direction of R. B. Marshall, Chief Geographer. 



INTRODUCTION. 

In order to determine the location of undeveloped water powers 
on the rivers of the United vStates the United States Geological Sur- 
vey has from time to time made surveys and profiles of some of the 
streams adapted to the development of power by low or medium 
heads of 20 to 100 feet. 

The surveys are made by means of plane table and stadia. Eleva- 
tions are based on heights derived from primary or precise levels of 
the United States Geological Survey. The maps are made in the 
field and show not only the outlines of the river banks, the islands, 
the positions of rapids, falls, shoals, and existing dams, and the 
crossings of all ferries and roads, but the contours of banks to an 
elevation high enough to indicate the possibility of using the stream. 
The elevations of the bench marks left are noted on the field sheets 
in their proper positions. All gaging stations are shown on the maps 
and the elevation of the zero of the gage is given. 

WILLAMETTE RIVER BASIN. 

GENERAL FEATURES. 

Willamette River drains a trough-shaped area extending north 
and south between the Coast and Cascade ranges in Oregon. The 
area is roughly rectangular, and is about 140 miles in length and 
about 85 miles in width. Willamette River proper is formed by 
the junction of three main tributaries, which unite in the vicinity of 
Eugene; these are the Middle Fork (considered the continuation of 
the main stream), the Coast Fork, and McKenzie River. The river 
is navigable for ocean-going vessels from its mouth to Portland, 
and for ordinary river steamboats from Portland to Corvallis, except 
during a few months of each year. From Corvallis to Eugene the 
river is navigable for light-draft boats at medium stages of the 
water. The falls of Willamette River at Oregon City are passed by 
a series of five locks, which are at present in private ownership. 

The other principal tributaries of Willamette River are Santiam, 
Molalla, and Clackamas risers. From the Coast Range flow Long 

5 



b SURVEYS ON WILLAMETTE AND WHITE RIVERS, OREG. 

Tom, Marys, Luckiamute, Yamhill, and Tualatin rivers. The drain- 
age areas of this river and its principal tributaries are given below. 

Drainage areas in Willamette River basin. 



Square miles. 

Willamette at mouth 11, 150 

Willamette at Oregon City 10, 200 

Willamette at Salem 7, 520 

Willamette at Albany 4, 860 

Coast Fork of Willamette 705 

Middle Fork of Willamette 1, 450 



Square miles. 

McKenzie River l, 040 

Santiam River 1, 890 

Yamhill River 7G3 

Clackamas River 927 

Tualatin River 690 



From the summit of the mountain ranges the slopes are steep, but 
they merge gradually into a wide alluvial valley or gently rolling 
agricultural lands. 

The entire drainage area may still be considered densely forested. 
The portions of the basin that contribute most of the flow of the 
streams lie almost entirely within national forests, and privately 
owned timber lands extend from the boundaries of the national 
forests to the main stream in the valley, except where lands have 
been cleared. 

Although records of precipitation at the summit of the Coast 
Range are meager, it is likely that the total annual rainfall is as 
much as 150 inches. On the eastern slope of the Coast Range the 
annual precipitation decreases very rapidly to about 40 inches, but 
it gradually increases again until at the summit of the Cascade Range 
it is approximately 100 inches. From north to south the same 
general variation is observed, although the differences are not so 
striking. At the mouth of the river the precipitation is about 50 
inches, in the vicinity of Corvallis about 40 inches, and at the summit 
of the Callapooya Mountains, which form the southern boundary of 
the drainage area, 55 or 60 inches. Except on the summits of the 
mountain ranges this precipitation is almost entirely rain, 95 per cent 
failing during nine months, from September to May. On the moun- 
tain ranges part of the precipitation is snow, and the country is sub- 
ject during the spring and fall to warm chinook winds, accompanied 
by rather sudden melting of these snows, which frequently cause con- 
siderable damage from floods. During the growing season, when the 
precipitation rarely exceeds 2 inches, the valley is practically arid. 
Although irrigation has not long been practiced in the valley, it is 
likely that before many years a large part of the agricultural bottom 
lands will be placed under irrigation. Small ditches and pumping 
plants have been constructed, and the returns from irrigated agri- 
cultural lands show an increase of 50 to 500 per cent in production 
over the nonirrigated lands. 

Lying almost wholly within a narrow strip adjacent to the main 
divide of the Cascades, where the soil and underlying rock is porous, 



WHITE RIVER. 7 

similar to that in the basin of Deschutes River, on the east side of the 
range, are a number of lakes and marshes which afford favorable 
sites for storage reservoirs. As a result the streams flowing through 
the lakes and marshes are not subject to great floods and are 
characterized by a large low-water flow. The effect of reservoirs on 
the Willamette would not be so marked as on more flashy streams, 
but their operation would greatly enhance the value of the river for 
irrigation, power, and navigation. 

The highest known flood in the Willamette Valley occurred Decem- 
ber, 1861, when the discharge at Albany was 220,000 cubic feet per 
second. The highest gage reading at Portland since that date was 
in 1894 but was due to backwater from Columbia River. The years 
1899 and 1907 were " wet years. " The year 1905 was a comparatively 
dry year. The longest record of stream flow in this basin has been 
obtained by applying recent measurements made at Albany to records 
obtained by the United States Weather Bureau since 1895. 

The results of earlier profile surveys in the Willamette River basin 
were published in Water-Supply Paper 349 (Plates I to III) ; those 
of the parts of the river surveyed in 1914 appear in Plates I-IV, at 
the end of this volume. 

GAGING STATIONS. 

The Survey has maintained two gaging stations on the Middle Fork 
of the Willamette, as follows: Dash following the date indicates that 
the station was being maintained June 30, 1915. 

Willamette River, Middle Fork (head of Willamette River), near Hazeldell, Oreg., 

1911- 
Willamette River, Middle Fork, at Jasper, Oreg., 1905- 

WHITE RIVER. 

White River, one of the larger tributaries of the Deschutes, rises 
on the southern slopes of Mount Hood, flows southeastward about 
15 miles, then takes an easterly and northeasterly course to its junc- 
tion with the main stream, 6 miles east of Tygh Valley. Its prin- 
cipal tributaries are Rock, Threemile, and Tygh creeks. 

A short distance west of Deschutes River the White falls from the 
Deschutes Plateau into a canyon, forming a number of picturesque 
cascades. Advantage has been taken of this natural water power, and 
a hydroelectric plant has been installed. A concrete dam, 8 feet high, 
has been built across the river above the falls and diverts the water into 
a settling basin, the use of which is necessitated by the large amount 
of sediment carried by White River. The water is thence conveyed 
to a second settling basin, which acts also as a forebay reservoir. 
A 60-inch wood-stave and steel pressure pipe 430 feet long, leading 
to the power house, gives a head of 149 feet. Power is developed at 
2,300 volts, but is stepped up to 66,000 volts for transmission 27 miles 
to The Dalles. Here connection is made with a transmission line 



8 SURVEYS OX WILLAMETTE AND WHITE RIVERS, OREG. 

leading to Hood River, where a small hydroelectric plant of 325 
kilowatts is tied into the same circuit. A branch line extends to Duf ur. 

The results of a profile survey on White River in 1914 are pre- 
sented in Plates V and VI at end of volume. 

The Geological Survey has maintained a gaging station on White 
River near Tygh Valley since June 18, 1911. A station was also 
maintained on Tygh Creek at Tygh Valley from June 9 to September 
30, 1911, and from March 8 to October 15, 1912. 

PUBLICATIONS. 

Information concerning stream flow at the stations on the Middle 
Fork of the Willamette and White rivers has been published by the 
Survey as follows : 

Middle Fork of Willamette: 

Water-Supply Papers 178, 214, 252, 272, 292, 312, 332C, 362C, and 394. * 
White River: 

Water-Supply Papers 312, 332C, 362C, 394. J 

Water-supply papers and other publications of the United States 
Geological Survey containing data in regard to the water resources 
of the United States may be obtained or consulted as indicated below. 

1. Copies may be obtained free of charge by applying to the 
Director of the Geological Survey, Washington, D. C, but the edition 
printed for free distribution is small and is soon exhausted. 

2. Copies may be purchased at nominal cost from the Superin- 
tendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, 
D. C, who will on application furnish lists giving prices. 

3. Sets of the reports may be consulted in the libraries of the prin- 
cipal cities in the United States. 

4. Complete sets are available for consultation in the local offices 
of the water-resources branch of the Geological Survey, as follows : 

Albany, N. Y., Room 18, Federal Building. 

Atlanta, Ga., Post Office Building. 

St. Paul, Minn., Old Capitol Building. 

Madison, Wis., Capitol Building. 

Helena, Mont., Montana National Bank Building. 

Denver, Colo., 302 Chamber of Commerce Building. 

Salt Lake City, Utah, Federal Building. 

Boise, Idaho, 615 Idaho Building. 

Portland, Oreg., 416 Couch Building. 

Tacoma, Wash., Federal Building. 

San Francisco, Cal., 328 Customhouse. 

Los Angeles, Cal., Federal Building. 

Honolulu, Hawaii, Kapiolani Building. 

A list of the Geological Survey's publications may be obtained by 
applying to the Director of the United States Geological Survey, 
Washington, D. C. 

1 In preparation. 

O 



U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 
GEORGE OTIS SMITH. DIRECTOR 

STATE OF OREGON 
JOHN H. LEWIS. STATE ENGINEER 



PLAN AND PROFILE OF 
MIDDLE FORK OF WILLAMETTE RIVER 

ABOVE OAKRIDGE. OREGON SHEET A 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 378 PLATE 




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U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 
GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DIRECTOR 

STATE OF OREGON 
JOHN H. LEWIS. ST 



PLAN AND PROFILE OF 

MIDDLE FORK OF WILLAMETTE RIVER 

ABOVE OAKRIDGE. OREGON 



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ABOVE OAKRIDGE, OREGON 




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U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH. DIRECTOI 

STATE OF OREGON 

JOHN H. LEWIS. STATE ENGINEEI 



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VICINITY OF TYGH VALLEY. OREGON 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 376 PLATE 




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GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DIRECTOR 

STATE OF OREGON 
JOHN H. LEWIS. STATE ENGINEER 



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